


I Want Her

by thebrickmaster



Category: The Last of Us
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-03-06 02:28:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18841768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebrickmaster/pseuds/thebrickmaster
Summary: Ellie and Dina like each other a lot. They want to be together but one thing after the other keeps getting in the way.





	1. Chapter 1

Ellie was a good student, she kept good grades and was captain of the schools lacrosse team. She was a normal teenager, she liked drinking too much iced coffee, and pretty girls, and talking about girls. If you haven't gotten it by now, Ellie is a lesbian. 

Ellie really liked girls and really wanted a girlfriend she just couldn't figure out how she would get a girlfriend. Her friends all told her to go and talk to girls but that was scary so she didn't do that. 

Dina was a spitting image of her father, she was smart and always the top of her class but in the same way she was like her father she was like her mother. She was in theater and loved performing, she was kind and outgoing, showing a great interest in civil rights. She often considered going into law like her mother. 

Dina really liked girls too. She really liked Ellie, who's headstrong personality and really strong arms made her headspin at the thought of them. Ellie would often come into Dina's work always ordering a medium iced coffee with two creams and one sugar, she always brought a metal bottle with her too. At this point Dina would hear the door ring at 3:15 and already have Ellie's order ready to make. 

Ellie walked into the Black Kettle Pot Cafe and didn't just order her usual coffee today she also ordered a sandwich knowing she'd get hungry at practice later tonight. Dina, the cute barista who had taken her order almost every week day was thrown. 

"woah there girly," she said in surprise "this is new. What's the occasion?" 

"Haha, I have lacrosse today but coach changed the practice time from four-to-six to four-to-eight cause we have championships this weekend."

"Hm that's a shame," she sat pensively. She was going to ask Ellie if she wanted to hang out with her this weekend. 

"What's a shame?" Dina was going to have to lie. 

"Nothing it's just that your total is twelve thirty-six and from what I can see from here is you only have a ten," Ellie swore under her breath

"Sorry, I didn't-"

"Don't you worry your pretty little mind. I've got you," Ellie watched as Dina took four dollars off the total. "just don't tell anybody, ok?" 

Dina winked as she handed Ellie her to go order in a brown paper bag, her name written on it in a scrawling cursive writing and a period with a heart drawn over it to make it an exclamation mark. 

Ellie saw Dina in the halls and waved to her but was always too scared to make any move beyond that until one day when they found one another in the same books store. 

Dina held a copy of "Why I Am Never Talking To White People About Race" (which Ellie would later come to borrow) her hair was up in it's usual bun but now glasses framed her face. Ellie had never seen her in glasses but she wished she did more often. 

"Hey Ellie," said Dina with a raised eyebrow "what are you doing here?"

"What," Ellie shoved Dina lightly "a jock can't be in a bookstore?"

"Hey now, I didn't say that," Dina pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her freckled nose "was just curious as to what book you're looking for."

"Oh just a history book,"

"THE Ellie Williams is a history buff who's buff, okay. What's it called?" Dina slugged Ellie softly. 

"Hope In The Dark," her voice got progressively higher, "I think."

"OH!" shouted Dina loud enough to elicit a harsh 'shhh' from the store clerk "sorry, I have that book. It's so good. The untold histories one, right? With the black cover?" 

"Yeah," said Ellie enthusiastically. 

"If you wanna come over I can lend it to you." 

Ellie couldn't form words for a second so she nodded. Dina took her by the hand and walked up to the counter to quickly pay for her new book. It turned out Dina walked here, she only lived a few blocks away. Ellie hopped in her truck offering Dina a ride which she accepted.

The truck only had three actual seats but it was comfortable nonetheless. It used to be Joel's old work truck but Ellie took it when Joel wanted a new car. She changed the engine out to something more fuel efficient and could run on alternative fuels so it occasionally smelled like cooking oil. It didn't smell of cooking oil when Dina got in though. It smelled like coffee and Ellie's masculine perfume. The yellow exterior faded into a creme on the interior and into the cracked leather. 

Ellie turned the key and drove the short drive to Dina's house. It was a nice place, it was expected that Dina lived in a nice house. Her dad was a councilman and her mother was the best lawyer in Seattle. It was what Joel would describe as traditional with a modern touch. It was a cement house with a brick accent wall and a sleek modern garage door and a porch that featured French doors. In summary, Ellie thought to herself, this house was nice as fuck.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dina invited Ellie over to lend her a book

Dina unlocked the doors to the house and Ellie was hit in the face with the smell of fresh baked cookies and she couldn't help but groan. 

"Woah," Dina covered her mouth with her hand as she giggled. "someone's hungry"

"Yeah, sorry." Said Ellie her lips shifting to form an o on the right side of her face. 

"Ellie you don't have to apologize. You're hungry you can't control that." She motioned with her hands for Ellie to follow her into the kitchen. "I left them to cool while I went to the bookstore."

Ellie took one of the chocolate chip cookies off the baking pan, peeling it off the parchment paper it had glued itself on. Maybe it's because Dina made it but that cookie was the best Ellie had ever had. 

"Good?" Asked Dina with a raised eyebrow. 

"Holy shit,Dina it's amazing!" 

"Aw geez," Dina laid her head on her hand squishing her right cheek. "they aren't that great." 

"Okay, well one you're a liar. And two, they're SO good."

Dina put all the cookies on a plate and left the tray in the sink to wash later. She led Ellie up the stairs to her room by the hand and smiled as she showcased her bookshelf. 

Dina's room was colorful. While the walls themselves were white the posters and pictures and so many other things that almost entirely cover the wall were so vibrant and full of life. Ellie looked at the "Deadly Class" poster that showcased Dina's love for Saya and an interest in comics Ellie wasn't expecting. She looked at the pictures that covered the area over her desk on the wall to the right of the door, seeing a few of Dina with some boys that made her a little envious. 

Dina's bookshelf wasn't so much a shelf as it was a wall. In wall next to the window book was a built in bookshelf on which sat a rainbow of different reading media's. Everything from comics to magazines, books to video games. 

Dina squatted down to search the bottom shelf, who's spines were all black and white. She ran her knuckle over the spines as if it would make her search easier. And apparently it did she quickly found it and popped up to hand it to Ellie with a beaming smile. 

Dina stood so close to Ellie. Their faces were less than two inches apart and all Dina wanted to do was to close that gap and kiss her. She didn't. 

Ellie was so close to Dina she could see the constellations her freckles formed and could feel her breath. All she wanted to do was grab her and her perfect dimples and pull them close and kiss her. She didn't. 

Dina laughed and took a step back hoping she didn't spend too long staring at Ellie's green eyes and crooked smile. Ellie did the same. In an attempt to make things less awkward Dina told Ellie to take a seat on her bed. Dina walked out of the room and came back with a basket full of what looked like old clothes and it appeared that Dina had changed out of her Harvard sweatshirt and jeans and into a cracked leather jacket over a taco Bell uniform that was two sizes too big. 

Ellie burst out in laughter at the sight of her. A large straw hat slumped over Dina's neon pink sunglasses and Ellie got up to pick the hat up off Dina and placing it on her own head. 

Dina convinced Ellie to put on an old tuxedo she had found, they both assumed it was her dad's. While Ellie was in the bathroom changing Dina threw all the clothes she wore on the old hardwood floor and swapped them out for a bright pink and sequined cocktail dress that loosely fit her. Ellie stepped out of the bathroom, her face in utter shock. 

"What do you think?" Laughed Dina. 

"Holy," Ellie's jaw had yet to pick itself up off the floor. 

Dina reached for her phone on the bed and played some music. Ellie recognized it, "homecoming heroes".

"Come on goob," Dina reached out to Ellie. Ellie reluctantly took her hand. 

They danced happily to the upbeat rhythm of the guitar not caring to really listen to the message the music had, they jumped up and down to the chorus. 

When the song ended they were out of breath and laughing so hard it was a surprise either of them could breathe. 

"What are we doing?" Asked Ellie with her hands on her knees, struggling to catch her breath. 

"A little bird told me," Dina danced her way over to Ellie. " you're not going to prom. So I figured why don't I throw you a prom myself."

Ecstasy by Crooked Still played just as Dina has intended it to. Dina took Ellie's hands, placing one on her hip and keeping the other in her right. Dina heard from a girl on the lacrosse team that this was her favorite slow song. 

After a while of slow dancing Dina felt that they were both comfortable enough for her to rest her head in the crook between Ellie's neck and shoulder. 

Ellie was dumbfounded her she was dancing to her favorite song in a suit at the house of the most beautiful girl in the world. No one to judge and nothing to interrupt. Ellie really was in love with this girl. 

The song ended with it's final pluck of the strings and Ellie said "I think I should go home,"

While Dina gave off a composed facade internally she was doing. What had she done wrong?

"Oh," Dina swallowed "why?"

"It's just getting late," Ellie gestured to the window as she went back to the bathroom. The sun turning orange over the pine trees in Dina's yard. 

Dina walked Ellie out to her truck and said her proper goodbyes like her parents taught her. Then she went back inside and screamed when she shut the door. 

Ellie drove home and pulled into her driveway slamming her head into the old wheel and screaming. She really liked Dina but didn't want to misread things. She was just a friend. Dina was just being friendly. Monday at school was going to be hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thanks for making it this far! Love y'all loads.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (To the tune of ice ice baby)Angst angst baby

While it wasn't unusual for the quad to be flooded with young people during lunch today was probably a record breaking number. A large group of people had formed a ring each person holding a bouquet of flowers and a select few also balancing cameras, recording the scene. 

In the middle of the ring stood Dina and the captain of the football team, Jesse Regó. Jesse held a yellow poster and a sunflower. The poster read 'I know I'm not the flower boy you wanted but it'd be the cherry bomb if you went to prom with me' he smiled brightly as his perfect teeth gleaned in the light of the flash of the cameras. 

Dina didn't really know Jesse that well. Sure they had chemistry together and yes they did follow one another on Instagram and Snapchat but she didn't really consider him a friend. She reluctantly said yes, too afraid to say no in the sea of people recording the event. She smiled for a picture and saw Ellie pass by, her burgundy bag swinging on one shoulder rather aggressively. 

Ellie watched in disbelief as Dina said yes to Jesse's prom-posal. Her jaw dropping to the floor when she hugged him for a picture. Gods, how could she say yes to that disgrace of a captain, that total dunce who constantly had to borrow people's homework because he was too preoccupied with football. Ellie couldn't stand the asshole. She stormed off to her third period dreading fourth. 

Dina was her usual flirty self in fourth period English, leaving her lingering touches up and down Ellie's arm as she tried to take notes during group work. Ellie wasn't going to lie and say she didn't like when Dina did that but she was still upset. Maybe Dina was straight and she should just stay home and eat ice cream this weekend while everyone else had fun at prom. She didn't wait for Dina to finish packing up to walk her to her next class like she always did, it was out of her way anyhow. Ellie instead stormed off to her English class on the other end of the school and to her class' surprise she wasn't late.

Ellie dreaded seventh period where she would have to see Dina again in calculus. Dina always helped because math wasn't Ellie's strong suit and Dina knew that. While Ellie did try to refuse Dina's help Dina's strong will often won over Ellie's pride. 

Ellie tried to play it cool as she took her seat next to Dina but just like in English she was unusually silent. Dina attempted to not let her anger slip out and tried to refrain from snapping at Ellie for leaving her without a say. Dina knew calculus was Ellie's academic weak point and seized it as an opportunity to talk to Ellie again. 

She waited until Ellie's eyebrows gave their tell of frustration, coming together in a furrow the only break being from a scar she had gotten in the orphanage before she met Joel. Dina tapped Ellie's shoulder, a gesture, an offer, Dina was reaching out. While it took some persuasion Dina's persistence won out over Ellie's pride as expected. 

Dina's hands played their usual touch and go with Ellie's forearm as she showed Ellie an easier way to find the solution. She somehow got Ellie acting like herself again. 

"What are you doing after school today?" She asked Ellie 

"Um-"

"If you're not doing anything would you want to come over," her brown hands traced over Ellie's scared and freckled arm "for math of course"

She asked Joel if it was okay and was secretly disappointed when he said yes. Now she had to cancel her plans to sit in her room alone with a tub of ice cream. "Sure I'll come over after lacrosse practice"

Ellie stopped at her place to shower and change before heading to Dina's. Joel was sat on the old recliner in the corner of the living room. 

"Hey baby girl, good day at school?" Asked her old man, the same way he always did when she came home. 

"Same old," she opened the fridge to find nothing that interested her "you eat lunch?" Ever since he was forced to retire from the Marines he often went through depressive episodes and didn't eat during them. 

"Yes ma'am" he stood and the sleeve of his flannel rolled down his arm. The red fabric now unintentionally covering the scars Ellie knew so well. "Shouldn't you be at Dina's?" 

"I should" she took a green apple off the counter, it made a crisp noise as she bit into it. "But I wanted to take a shower first" she finished through a full mouth. 

"Alright well I don't think I'll be here when you get back, I'm going out tonigh-" 

"JOEL!" Joel hadn't gone out since he lost Tess in Kabul. 

"It's nothing like that kiddo," he said defensively. "It's just dinner with a woman from the office"

"Oh really," said Ellie suggestively "than why's there a condom on the island?" 

Joel panicked his bushy eyebrows now raised so high they were covered by his shaggy hair making them no longer visible. 

"Holy fucking shit, Joel!" Ellie freaked "I was joking but you clearly weren't" she laughed as she ran upstairs already late to Dina's but as she ran up she chanted "Joel's gonna get laid" repeatedly. 

When Ellie had come back downstairs all freshened up she found Joel in brown slacks and a white button up. She shoved him out the door still chanting. Getting him in the car with kind words. 

"If you come back before nine I'll be real fucking disappointed and real fucking pissed" 

Joel tried to give his usual no-party-no-boys speech but Ellie just told him "I haven't before why would I start now" she'd never thrown a party without Joel why would she throw one now. Instead she texted Dina

[7:36pm Ellie]: hey Joel's not gonna be here. Wanna come here instead?

[7:36pm Dina <3]: no parents (; wow someone's eager

[7:36pm Ellie]: says the one who responded in two seconds agsgsg

[7:37pm Dina<3]: omw 

Dina was coming over that gave her five minutes to clean up a little and ten minutes to panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit am I so sorry this one took so long but finals and ap testing are killing me. As always thanks for making it this far and I love you


	4. Chapter 4

Dina knocked on Ellie's door three times before she got an answer Ellie opened the door with an apology. 

"Sorry," she pointed to her ears "headphones" 

DIna told Ellie not to worry about it as she sauntered to the sofa. She threw her brown book bag next to the sofa and took a seat. Ellie walked into the kitchen to pour the coffee. 

Was Ellie still upset that Dina was now going to prom with Jesse? Yes. Was she going to do anything about it? No. On the field Ellie was a killer but when it came to people she was a total, absolute coward. And so she accepted her defeat like the good sport she was and tried to push her feelings aside.

"So you still don't want to go to prom?" asked Dina as she pulled a notebook out of her bag.

"Not really," Ellie walked over with a coffee mug in each hand.

"What are you asking me for anyway?"

"No reason" Dina hid behind her mug. Though Dina did have a reason, she really wanted to take Ellie but Jesse got in the way.

"Besides you have a boyfriend to worry about, don't you." Ellie said with more venom than she had intended. 

"He's not my boyfriend," Ellie broke into a smile, frantically trying to hid said smile by drowning herself in coffee. "He's an asshole." 

Was Jesse hurting Dina? Ellie was suddenly furious but her fury diffused when Dina's finger tips dragged across her arm. 

"He just put me in a position where I couldn't say no. What kind of asshole does that? The circle of cameras and the twenty bouquets of flowers. If i had said no i would have come off as the world's biggest asshole. I'm just going to let him down easy." Dina's eyes met Ellie's and all Ellie could think about was how badly she wanted to punch Jesse and how insanely in love she was with DIna. 

"So you're not going to prom at all then?" Ellie's hand sat dangerously close to Dina's. All one of them had to do was close the gap. 

"No, I don't think so." Dina's eyes suddenly looked everywhere, avoiding Ellie's eyes. "Unless of course you asked me to go." Dina hid her candor behind laughter hoping that Ellie would think she was joking. 

"I would if prom were my type of thing," Ellie said honestly but hiding her honesty with laughter as Dina did. 

Dina made the move and let her hand lace itself in Ellie's. They sat doing nothing but holding hands. Ellie's heart was racing, debating whether or not she should make a move and kiss Dina. She didn't. Dina's heart was in her throat she couldn't make her mind up. Should she kiss Ellie? Gods, did she want to. She didn't. They both mutually agreed that homework wasn't on either of their minds, it could be done tomorrow. Instead Ellie convinced Dina to sleep over, it didn't matter that Dina hadn't brought clothes to change into. Ellie gave Dina some of her sleep clothes. As Dina was in Ellie's bedroom changing Ellie stayed in the kitchen silently freaking out.

_HOLY FUCKING SHIT! Dina's staying over, she held your hand. You almost kissed her. Okay you didn't almost kiss her but you debated it. It's the thought that counts_

Dina walked into the kitchen in one of Ellie's oversized band shirts, well oversized on Dina. She wore her red glasses and looked so beautiful that Ellie couldn't find the words. The black long sleeved shirt prominently featured the faces of Ellie's favourite band with their name "the aces" gracing the shirt in it signature font. Dina wasn't wearing pants though. She was wearing a pair of Ellie's boxers and looking so incredibly hot in them. 

Ellie handed Dina a bowl of popcorn.

"So? What movie?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the late update but i was just super unmotivated

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for making it this far! I really enjoyed writting this and hope you enjoyed reading it. Per usual comments and kudos are always appreciated


End file.
